1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a mounting multi-component device for capturing or repelling insects or insect pests. In particular, the invention concerns the mounting device comprising a mountable housing for an insert comprising an adhesive surface and a dispenser for controlled release of one or several insect attractants or repellants. The insert comprising the attractant serves as a trap for capturing and monitoring insects. The insert comprising the repellant serves as a reservoir for the repellant. The insert adhesive surface serves as a capturing means for insects or insect pests. The dispenser serves as a reservoir, protectant and rate controlling release means for active compounds. The active compounds are attractants such as pheromones, kairomones, allomones, feeding stimulants to attract the insects, insecticides to kill the insects or insect repellants to repel the insects. The device is particularly useful for capturing and monitoring insects of multiple Orders and insects of multiple species. In its simplest embodiment, the invention provides a mounting folding insect trap and assembly for capturing and monitoring insects.
2. Background of the Invention
Standard traps for attracting and trapping insects tend to be traps for capture of single insect species, visible and obtrusive. Attracting, capturing and monitoring with such traps typically require that they be placed in a visible location. Further, such traps are designed for trapping insects of a single species or, at most, of a single order (families or species of insects that are closely related). The typical systems employ one dispenser for each pheromone or other active compound. In some cases the pheromone or other active compound is capable of attracting more than one species that are closely related within an insect family, but not between insect orders such as, for example, moths of the order Lepidoptera and beetles of the order Coleoptera. Also in some cases more than one dispenser is used in a trap. However such multiple dispensers are used for species within an order of insects. Thus, the existing disposable traps are not particularly economical in use particularly where multiple orders of insects are targeted in one product or one site.
Additionally, the existing insect traps are typically three-dimensional non-collapsible structures which require a space and are clearly visible upon placement. Under certain circumstances, it is not economical to provide the space for the trap among other products or not desirable to have such a trap visible, for example, to customers in a store. Packaging and storing of the traps also present a problem.
It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a collapsible device, suitable as an insect trap, with a mounting means permitting the device to be discretely or unobtrusively mounted under a shelf on a wall, behind the counter or in a similar discrete manner. It would also be desirable to provide such a discrete device that may be easily monitored. It would also be desirable to provide such a trap that is economical by allowing at least a portion of the trap to be reused. It would further be desirable to provide a mountable device that does not require dismounting of the housing to replace the insert comprising a dispenser for bait, lure, or insecticide and adhesive sticky surface when the insert is no longer functional or otherwise needs replacement. It would also be desirable to provide a multi-use device assembly where the attractant may be selected for a plurality of target insect or insect pests. It would also be desirable to provide such a device or assembly that may be used simultaneously for several insect orders using different attractants formulated for incorporation into one dispenser emplaced within one device unit. It would also be desirable to provide a device, such as an insect trap that utilizes a surface covered with adhesive formulation for capture of insect or insect pests. Further, it would be desirable to provide a device that reduces space requirements and labor costs generated from storing, placing, collecting and evaluating the inserts serving as the traps.
All patents, patent applications and publications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference.
One aspect of the current invention is a multi-component device for capturing or repelling insects or insect pests.
Another aspect of the current invention is a mountable device comprising an external housing, an insert internally positioned within said housing, said insert further comprising an adhesive surface for capturing and monitoring captured insects, a porous removable and replaceable dispenser and active compound holding reservoir, said dispenser or reservoir protecting said active compound from external conditions and releasing said active compound at a controlled release rate.
Still another aspect of the current invention is a chemically neutral, porous dispenser for holding and releasing an active compound or a mixture of two or more active compounds at a predetermined controlled release rate, wherein said dispenser is made of plastic, rubber, polymer, elastomer, wood, felt, starch, cellulose or cellulose derivative, alginate, film, oil or hard fat or, in alternative, the adhesive surface of the insert functions as a dispenser when it is coated with an active compound or a mixture of two or more active compounds formulated to release the active compound at controlled release rate.
Still yet another aspect of the current invention is a multi-lure incorporated into one dispenser, wherein said multi-lure comprises two or more active compound, selected from attractants, such as pheromones, kairomones or allomones, or feeding stimulants or insecticides or repellants, alone or in combination with each other, said active compound being a ketone, aldehyde, acetate, alcohol or ester formulated and incorporated into said dispenser for controlled release rate.
Yet another aspect of the current invention is a multi-lure formulated for attracting and capturing multiple insect orders and species and incorporated into a dispenser for controlled release rate.